If It Doesn’t Challenge You, It Doesn’t Change You

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My yoga instructor shared this in a tough class that was certainly testing my limits, but these words really hit home for another reason.

I was getting ready for a few months of travel, speaking and working with clients in cities across the country (and world!).

It was a kind of crazy idea that honestly scared me.

Because I wasn’t just going to be traveling. I was going to be putting my stuff in storage and hitting the road for the sake of getting the message out there in a bigger way and to also take a step back to tap more into my creativity.

I founded Ustyled in 2008 to empower women to live their life in style.
I’ve realized that it’s about much more that that.
It’s about empowering women to step into their power using their style as a catalyst.

I’ve always been passionate about women staying in the workforce. Even well before Sheryl Sandberg’s famous Ted talk. But that talk really spoke to me for two reasons.

One, she was talking about me. When I was at BCBG, I looked around and saw what ‘it took’ to be at the top. And had a sense of how long it would take. And I knew I wanted to have children at some point and when I did, I didn’t want to have to make the decision between career and family.

Yet, at the same time I did opt out in a way. I left the job most would covet because I wanted to create the flexibility to have both a career and a family. Not that I even had a boyfriend at the time.

Two, I wanted to make it easier for women to have a career and a family. To ‘have it all.’ To ‘find balance.’ But I’ve noticed the subtle and not so subtle differences in their careers and lives over the course of us working together.

I see women step even more into their power. I see them show up. And I see them succeed at even higher levels. And up-leveled style was a big part of the change in how they showed up for meetings, events, networking, and every day.

THINK ABOUT IT. IF YOU WEAR YOUR FAVORITE OUTFIT, YOU STAND A BIT TALLER AND A BIT BOLDER, DON’T YOU?

If you give in to the part of you that would rather stay in comfy clothes for the day because it’d just be easier, how much do you get done and how do you show up?
Interesting.

So, here I am on the road. Essentially homeless, yet I’ve already felt so at home.

YES, IT’S BEEN SCARY, BUT IF IT DOESN’T CHALLENGE YOU, IT DOESN’T CHANGE YOU.

And it’s not about me. It’s about you.
I want to see YOU step into your power.

It’s not just about the clothes. The clothes are a catalyst. It’s about YOU.

The interesting thing is that many women are afraid of looking at their style even though they’re not happy with it … because that would mean being seen.

Well, if you aren’t seen, you aren’t heard. And you have something to say.

What do you have to say? Is it time to amplify your message?

If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.